A career thief charged with burglarizing the Anne Frank Center last winter is insisting to a Manhattan jury that he had just gone inside because he wanted to look at the exhibits.

Michael James, 53 — who has 30 theft and drug sale arrests on his rap — is accused of swiping the executive director’s wallet after sneaking into her office, located behind a full-scale display of Frank’s bedroom in the Park Place center. He is linked to the burglary by fingerprint and video evidence.

“I knew he didn’t want to learn more about Anne Frank, because I saw he was running away!” victim Yvonne Simons told The Post after testifying yesterday.

“Here I am, the head of a tolerance organization, and it’s awkward — because this cannot be tolerated,” the Dutch-born Simons said.

James, who has done three prison stints for burglary, robbery and possessing stolen goods, is charged with burglary for going through the unlocked front doors and into Simons’ office fifteen minutes before the center opened — and grand larceny for allegedly using her credit cards.